Veterinary speculum.



No. 773,226. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

W. D. ROBINSON. I VETERINARY SPBCULUM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

5] \wenfoz 4 HZZJiabz'nsozz,

. SKI-t v Q7 flmwu r UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

XVILLIAM D. ROBINSON, OF TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN.

VETERINARY SPECULUIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,226, dated October25, 1904.

Application filed April 25, 1904. Serial No. 204,843- No model.)

To all. whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM D. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Traverse City, in the county of Grand Traverse and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVeterinary Speculums, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mouth-speculums particularlydesigned for veterinary purposes to rigidly hold the mouth of an animalopen while this member or adjacent parts are being operated upon or forpu rposes of administering medicine or the like. The essential featureof the invention is to provide a device of the class above recited whichis comparatively simple in its operation and structure and thereforepossessed of advantages making it very desirable to those having needfor an implement of the class to which my invention relates.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings. a

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is a perspective view showing the embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2is a side elevation.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in both views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

In carrying out my invention the same comprises side frames of similarform, which frames are adapted to be secured to the sides of the head ofthe animal when the device is being used. Each of the side frames of thespeculum is composed of upper and lower side bars 1 and 2, respectively,and these side bars are pivotally connected at one end, as shown at 3.The upper side bars 1 of each of the frames are connected at the endopposite to that which is pivotally secured at 3 by means of a bitmember 4, and the corresponding lower side bars 2 of each of the framesis similarly connected by a bit member 4. The bit member 4 is adapted toengage within the mouth of the animal to bear against the teeth of theupper and lower jaws of the animal,

. and said bit members are each provided with teeth-engaging flanges 5,projected therefrom. The teeth-engaging flanges 5 may be integrallyformed or otherwise, as found best in the manufacture of my invention,and the bit members 4 may be removably secured to the respective sidebars 1 and 2 of the frames, if desired. The upper and lower bars 1 and2, respectively, .of each frame are connected at points between theirends by means of togglelevers 6, and these levers 6 are adapted to beoperated toward an alined position when it is necessary to distend thejaws of the animal by separating movement of the bit members 4 of thedevice. To look the bit members in separated position after the jaws ofthe animal have been distended thereby, or, in other words, to lock'thetoggle members 6 in such a position as to fix the position of the saidbit members 4:, pivoted dogs 7 are utilized, said dogs being pivoted tothe lowermost togglelevers 6 of each of the frames. The dogs 7 areadapted to engage with teeth 8, formed upon the upper edge portions ofthe lower side bars 2 of each of the frames. In order to preventlikelihood of lateral displacement of the engaging ends of the dogs 7from the toothed portions 8 of the bars 2, the lower ends or engagingends of the said dogs 7 are bifurcated, so as to embrace the bars 2 uponopposite sides, and thus lateral play of the dogs 7 is prevented, andthey are virtually guided in their movement along the bars 2 in theoperation of the device. Finger-pieces 9 are projected from the dogs 7,so that the same may be quickly operated to disengage them or engagethem with the bars 2 when the togglelevers 6 are being actuated, so asto separate the jaws of the animal.

The means for operating the toggle-levers 6 consists of levers 10, saidlevers being pivoted at their upper ends to the upper side bars 1 of theframes by means of a pivot member 11. The pivot member 11 constitutesthe pivotal support for the upper toggle-levers of each frame, as shownmost clearly in Fig. 1. The actuatingdever 10 is also secured aboutintermediate its ends to the pivotal fastening 12, by which thetoggle-levers 6 of each frameare connected. The actuatinglevers are thusadapted to move the upper toggle-levers 6 of each frame, and saidmovement will cause an opening or spreading movement of the bit members4 in a manner which will be readily seen. The levers 10 are outwardlydeflected, as shown at 13, to form lower handle members 14, said handlemembers beingspaced from the lowermost side bars 2 of the frames becauseof the deflected formation of the levers, as above described. Thedisposition of the handles 14 admits of obtaining a rigid hold thereofin the manipulation of the said levers 10 to operate the device. Thelinger-pieces 9 of the dogs 7 are disposed adjacent the handles 14 ofthe levers 10, and the location of the said finger-pieces 9 is obviouslyvery convenient to the levers 10, so that the dogs 7 may be quicklydisengaged when it is desired to remove the device from the head of theanimal for use thereof. In order to secure the device to the animalshead, the lower levers 2 are provided at their pivoted ends with loops15, which are connected by an adjusting-strap 16. The adjusting-strap 16is designed to secure the upper portions of the frames of the device tothe head of the animal. In order to more firmly hold the device inposition, the upper bars 1 and lower bars 2 of each frame are providedwith integral loops 15 at points between the ends thereof, and theseloops are connected by straps 17, adapted to embrace the upper and lowerjaws of the animal to firmly hold the invention in place.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the device is readilysusceptible of use upon animals having different-sized heads and thatthe degree of adjustment of the bit members may be varied to open themouth of the animal to a greater or less extent. When it is desired toremove the device, if same has been used, the handles 14 of theactuating-levers 10 are grasped and by pulling said members toward thebit members 4 and at the same time pressing upon the finger-pieces 9 ofthe dogs 7 said dogs are disengaged and permit the bit members to movetoward each other. The adjusting-straps 16 and 17 may then be loosenedand the device removed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In aveterinary speculum, the combination of side frames each composed ofupper and lower bars pivotally connected at one end, the opposite endsof the upper bars of each frame being connected by a bit member,toggle-levers connecting the upper and lower bars of each frame, meansfor actuating said toggle-levers to cause separation of the bit members,engaging dogs pivoted to certain of the toggle levers to fix theposition thereof, finger-pieces projected from the engaging dogs,

the lower bars of each of the frames being provided with the engagingteeth cooperating with the engaging dogs aforesaid, said engaging dogsbeing bifurcated at their engaging ends so as to embrace the lower barsof each frame, and means for actuating the togglelevers to effectseparating movement ofthe bit members.

2. In a veterinary speculum, the combination of side frames eachcomposed of upper and lower side bars pivotally connected at one end,bit members connecting the opposite ends of the corresponding upper andlower side bars. of each frame, toggle-levers connecting the upper andlower side bars of each frame, means for fixing the positions of saidtogglelevers, and actuating-levers pivoted to the upper bars of eachframe at their upper ends and receiving at a point between their endsthe pivotal connections of the toggle-levers of each frame to establisha pivotal connection with said, levers, whereby movement of theactuating-levers causes actuation of the togglelevers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ll. ROBINSON. [1 s] Witnesses:

ELIZA RoBINsoN, ELIZA BOYER.

